Appointments

The Mass. Eye and Ear Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service is located in our downtown Boston location. Our specialists also maintain office hours in our Stoneham (North Suburban) location. To schedule an appointment, please call:

Cornea Service: 617-573-3938

Refractive Surgery Service: 617-573-3234

What To Expect At Your Eye Care Visit

Registration and Reception
All patients must be registered with contact and health insurance information prior to an appointment. In our Boston location, the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Service reception area is located on the first floor. If you are a new patient, please plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment to register and fill out paperwork.

Medical RecordsIn order to provide the best evaluation possible, it is often necessary to review earlier medical records and previous photographs. Please bring any records of previous surgeries or other eye exams.

Examination
You will receive a highly specialized ophthalmologic examination that could last several hours, depending on the reason of your visit. At Mass. Eye and Ear, tests may be performed that are not routinely done at other eye physicians’ offices.

Dilation
Many new patients will have their pupils dilated (opened wide) with a medication delivered by eye dropper before the ophthalmic evaluation. The dilation procedure itself takes about 30 to 45 minutes. After dilation, you should not drive due to safety reasons. Please plan to bring someone who can drive you home. Vision may be blurred for hours after the examination and your pupils may remain dilated for up to 24 hours.

Professionals You Will Meet at Your Exam
Mass. Eye and Ear is a teaching hospital, and as such, many healthcare professionals are involved in your care. These include:

Cornea and Refractive Surgery-Trained Ophthalmologist: a medical doctor (MD) and surgeon who has completed medical school, an internship, residency in ophthalmology, and a surgical cornea fellowship.

Optometrist: an optometrist (OD) is a primary eye care provider who diagnoses, manages, and treats disorders of the visual system and eye diseases. ODs must complete four years of post-graduate optometry school for their doctorate.

Cornea Fellow: a fellow is a licensed physician who completed residency training in ophthalmology, and is now obtaining subspecialty training in cornea and refractive surgery.

Ophthalmology Resident: a resident is a licensed doctor of medicine and surgery in the state of Massachusetts. Residents have completed medical school and an internship in medicine and are now obtaining specialized training in ophthalmology.

Ophthalmic Technician: an ophthalmic technician has received specialized training in ophthalmic procedures. This individual may be the first eye specialist that patients encounter at the Mass. Eye and Ear clinic.

Our Locations

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